For many reasons, you'll need to keep up with a number of different people you've met and want to maintain contact with. If you're a business person, you know the importance of this in sales, but this need is not limited to business. Consider your Christmas Card List. How about the people you want to send birthday cards to? Where can you keep the name and contact information of the guy you had cut those trees--and he did such a great job for you that you really do want to remember him in case you need him again. This tool is designed to meet all of these needs...and we expect it to grow as time goes by.

(Before you start the tool, you should do the configurations in the
Getting Started Section of this documentation.)
To start the tool, start Catapult Garage, then look at the top menu. There' you'll see the "Contacts" option and all you have to do is click it. When you do, you'll see a screen come up where the upper-left corner looks something like the image shown at right. Enter an ID you can remember: usually we recommend that you use your first name here, but it can be anything so long as you only use the characters A-Z, a-z, and 0-9. Next, enter an eight (8)- character password. Again, you can use the A-Z, a-z, and 0-9 characters, plus you can use the exclamation point (!) and the minus (-) sign to make it a more secure, more effective password. Be sure to write down the password so you won't forget it. (If you do, there's no way to retrieve it or your data.) Once you've finished entering your password, click the green "Go" button or, alternatively, you can simply hit your "ENTER" key.

At this point, the tool will try to start, but since it has never been used before, it will not find a configuration file and so it will give you an error message as shown at left. As instructed in the message box window, simply click the "OK" button to continue.

Next, you'll see the "Contacts Configuration Is Missing" screen as shown below:

Here you'll want to click the second option from the top. It's the one that reads, "This is the first time I've used Contacts..." Then click the "OK" button at lower-right. When you click it, you'll change to a window somthing like the one shown below:

After you read the screen's information to familiarize yourself with what's going on, click the "NEXT" button at lower-right to move on. Next will come a screen where you are asked for your ID and password again. The screen looks like the one just below. Please, read it and familiarize youself with it before you use it. Then reenter the ID and password you've selected for your Contacts data. You'll need to enter the password again so the machine can verify that you've typed it correctly. Once you're sure you have it entered properly, click the "NEXT" button on the lower-right of the window to continue.

This screen will show you the chosen configuration folder path.
WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT YOU CHANGE THIS PATH. However, if you are an IT professional and feel that you need to store the data somewhere else, this will give you the opportunity to do so. If you are not an IT professional and/or if you have no real reason for altering the chosen path, we recommend that you leave it as it is. In any event, you should use the "TEST" button to be sure you have the permissions required to write into the chosen folder. (You should, but sometimes IT shops may have changed the permissions, so do check it.) Once you've checked it, you can click the "NEXT" button to move forward. (You may have to place your cursor in the yellow text box and hit the "Tab" key to see the OK button.)

For numerous operations, the tool will need a temporary work folder location where it can both read and write small temporary files. Here, you need to designate such a folder (also known as a catalog or directory). You can, of course, use the "BROWSE" button to help locate such a folder and/or to create one if you need to do so. Once you've selected your folder, you should always use the "TEST" button to be sure you have the proper permissions so that it will actually work. After that, click the "Next" button that now shows up at lower-left. (You may have to place your cursor in the yellow text box and hit the "Tab" key to see the OK button.)

This screen will show you the chosen configuration image folder path. You'll quickly see that this path is merely designating a sub-folder underneath your data folder. This makes it easy to backup your Contacts data since your images will be in the same folder as your data. For this reason,
WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT YOU CHANGE THIS PATH. However, if you are an IT professional and feel that you need to store the data somewhere else, this will give you the opportunity to do so. If you are not an IT professional and/or if you have no real reason for altering the chosen path, we recommend that you leave it as it is. In any event, you should use the "TEST" button to be sure you have the permissions required to write into the chosen folder. (You should, but sometimes IT shops may have changed the permissions, so do check it.) Once you've checked it, you can click the "NEXT" button to move forward. (You may have to place your cursor in the yellow text box and hit the "Tab" key to see the OK button.)

This screen will allow you to specify the path to a folder where your data will automatically be backed up. Ideally, this path would point to a different hard drive on your computer. The idea is, of course, that if your hard drive kicks up its heels and dies, you'll have a complete backup on the other hard drive. If the computer you're using will always be on a network, it might even be better to put your backup on a different computer in the LAN. There is little or no purpose in using a backup path on the same physical hard drive, so you may need to simply leave the entry blank.

As usual, if you select a backup path, you'll need to use the "TEST" button to be sure you have the permissions required to write into the chosen folder. Once you have the entry as you want it, whether a tested folder path or a null entry, click the "NEXT" button to continue.

This screen will allow you to specify the path to Microsoft's Internet Explorer® browser. This browser will be used for some purposes rather than your favorite browser. We do this simply because we don't know for sure that any of the other browsers will be present on your machine. As you look at the window, you'll see that you can use the "PASTE" button if the path is already copied onto your system's clipboard.

From this point forward, you will see several information messages as the system completes its initial configuration and setup. When it has finished, the Catapult Garage software will shut down to ensure that all values are properly reset and all extra code used for initial configuration is removed from memory. To bring the system up in a ready-to-use state, just restart the software in the normal manner.

NOTE:
Now that your Contacts Manager has been started with a minimal set of configuration data, it's time to begin configuring it in conjunction with the Catapult Garage software framework. This section will cover the various configuration options that apply to your Contacts Manager Tool. All of the options in this section are found on the Catapult Garage start screen's "View/CFG" menu.

One of the first "convenience options" you have is whether to us a single, remembered ID/password each time you log onto the Contacts Manager tool--a one-time ID/Password combination
. To understand this, you have to realize that the
Contacts data you're going to store using the tool is all encrypted on your hard disk. This means that if someone tries to simply copy the data file and thus steal your contacts data, unless they have your Contacts password they will find the data useless. There are any number of environments where this is a valuable safeguard against losing your data--where you work, a much-traveled mobile device, or any other set of circumstances where someone else may be able to get to your computer fit this situation. On the other hand, you may have a desktop at home and no one who would ever steal anything ever comes near it. In this latter case, the odds are you'd like to avoid having to actually logon each time you access your data. For the sake of brevity and clarity we'll call these scenarios
Public Use
and
Private Use
.

If you will be in a private use scenario, start your Contacts Manager tool and logon to it using the ID/pwd you used when you set it up earlier. After doing nothing more than logging into the tool, click the "OK" button to exit from the tool. Now, click the "View/Cfg" menu on the Catapult main screen and use the "Contacts One-time Logon" option. When you do this, you'll see a screen something like the one shown at left.

Enter the same ID/Password you used to log in to the Contacts Manager tool and click the green "Go" button. The top of the screen will change to show more data entry points for a "new" ID/Password combination. This will look something like this:

We recommend that you use the same ID/Password you've already set up.
Enter your ID and password in the indicated text-entry boxes. When you have it right, click the "OK" button at lower-left. You'll need to restart your Catapult Garage software so that the one-time-use ID/Password takes effect, but the next time you log into the Contacts Manager Tool, it will already know the ID and password you just entered it and it will build the data based upon using this combination.

If you have a Microsoft Exchange® Server on your LAN, the next thing you'll want to do is configure the Catapult Garage software so that it knows how to use email via that server. If there's no LAN and/or no Microsoft Exchange® Server on your LAN, you need not perform this configuration since it won't work for you.

To do this configuration, use the View/Cfg menu and select the "Email Server on this LAN" option. This will present a window something like the one shown at left. Let's run through the possibilities for this form. The first text box is pretty self explanatory: enter your email address as it is found on your LAN's Microsoft Exchange® Server, e.g., My.Name@NoSuch.com. Next, you can enter
one
of three different things that will identify the server:

the IPv4 address to the Microsoft Exchange® Server on your LAN

the IPV6 address to the Microsoft Exchange® Server on your LAN

the DNS name of the Microsoft Exchange® Server on your LAN

Your local system administrator can supply you with one or two of these parameters, and they may need to allow you to connect directly to the server as well--leave that to the IT pro. (Be aware that you'll probably have to convince your IT administrator that you're not really going to steal or kill their server/data. Point out to them that you're not asking for any passwords or special treatment. You just need to know where to send your email from this program.)

If your IT people give you the name of the server, enter it in the lower of the three text boxes and click the Question-mark button. If it works on your LAN--and it may not depending upon how your LAN is configured--you'll see the IP address filled in on one of the two preceding lines. If it doesn't you'll need to persuade them to give you the IP address for the server.

Once you've entered the information, be sure to use the button to "Send Test Email To Yourself." If your configuration is correct, you'll receive an email with the subject: "TESTING: Contacts Setup, Exchange config" and the message will read, "This is a test email to see if the config you entered works. If you're reading this, congratulations...it worked!" Seconds later you will receive a second email from the "System Administrator" with a subject: "Delivered: TESTING: Contacts Setup, Exchange config" and it will tell you the time and date that your message to yourself was sent as well as received.

If you didn't get these emails, something is wrong and you need to talk to your network and/or Exchange® administrators seeking help. (Note: if you didn't get the first of the two from yourself, but did get the second from the System Administrator, ask them if they have emails to yourself blocked before you get upset...they just might.)

Once you've successfully configured your system so that you can send email, you'll want to configure your Email Signatures. Look under the Catapult Garage "View/Cfg" menu and select the "Email Signatures" option. You'll see that you have four different options to fill in:

Business -- usually your complimentary close, e.g., "Sincerely," or "Yours truly," a couple of blank lines, then your full name and a set of contact information should be used. Be sure to include your office address, office phone number, office FAX number, and work email address. Whether to include your title and/or your personal cell-phone number is worth considering depending upon the kind of work you do...your choice.

Home -- This one is an address for use in a more relaxed, yet not quite informal email type. You would usually expect to include your complimentary close just as in the business environment, your full name, your home phone number, and your email address. You may want to include your home address, your personal cell number, and/or some other contact information...or not. Think about whether you really want to give the people you'll email to using this signature as you decide: do you really want them to know how to contact you anytime night or day? Do you really want them to know your home address?

Familiar Form -- This one is for use with family and friends that you don't email very often. Usually, you'll want to use the same information as your "Home" signature (above) plus a little more--after all they ARE family and friends.

First Name -- This one is just that and its for spouses and your closest friends only. Use your favorite complimentary close. (OK, you're familiar with these people, but we don't ever recommend that you use really crude things since you never, ever, know who'll see your writing.) Use your first name only. Since they're close to you, they already know how to reach you.

Select any one of the four options and you'll see a screen like the one shown at right.

Type your "signature" information into the manilla-colored text box. Use HTML to encode it. Don't panic! In general, you'll need only two HTML tags to do this. First, end each line with
<br /> (line break) or <p></p> ("paragraph"--inserts a blank line). Hence your entry might look something like this:

Once you've typed in your signature information, the "OK" button will appear. When you have the signature like you want it, just hit the "OK" button to finish your entry. Do this for each of the four signature types you want to use.

As for the "Proprietary Information Warning" you may need to say something like, "The information contained in this email may include proprietary trade-secret information belonging to ITSBITS.com. Use of this information may result in legal action against you. The information contained herein is intended only for the person(s) to whom it was sent. If you have received this information in error, delete it immediately and notify the sender of the error." Entering the data for this will work exactly as described for the signatures' information (above.) As with your legal notices (above), check with your own legal staff or a local lawyer to see exactly what is needed and/or required for the protection of your own rear end and, if possible, get it from them in writing--CYOR...you figure that one out. [Do NOT consider what we've shown as an example to be legal advice: 1) we're not lawyers 2) we're not in your geographic area and 3) we're not liable (under the terms of your license agreement) for any losses that might result from it if you are dumb enough to disreagard this warning.)] You should always consult a local lawyer for the appropirate wording to use, given your own company's location and situation.

Next, on the Catapult Garage Software "View/Cfg" menu, you'll see an option for Phone Dialing and if you select that option you'll find two options. First is the "Outside Line Code" option and second is the "Calling Card Code" option. If you have a modem hooked to your computer, you can use the phone-dialing options to let the computer dial phone numbers for you.

Sometimes, a PBX switching system will require that you dial a special number first to tell it you want an outside line. You may be able to recognize which of the two options you need to use in order to use this and once you select that option, it will again work exactly as the signature options explained above.

At other times, your company will give you a calling-card number to use. Select the appropriate option, then enter the calling-card number exactly as you've done above with the signatures, etc.

NOTE: All of the configuration options in this section are found on the Contact Manager Tool's "Configuration" menu. We will go straight down the menu at right to help you find the part you're looking for.

Before you use the first option on the Configuration menu, "Configuration to use", you should see the documentation section on
configuring sharing. When you click on this option, you are presented with a small window like the one at left. The use and purpose of this window/option is shown and fully discussed in the section on
configuring sharing.

The second option on this menu is the option to set the "Default Size/Location on Screen." As you use the Contacts Manager, you will likely find that you enjoy it being set to a given size and location on the screen or, perhaps, you'll find you like for it to be maximized (take all the screen). Whichever size/location you prefer, just set it the way you want it to be and click this option. The next time you use the Contacts Manager, it will "remember" this setting and use it automatically.

The third option on the menu is to let you set Colors and Fonts. You'll find it has a sub-option for each.

When you select the "Colors" option, you'll see a window something like the one shown below.

Take a minute and look at the screen. It is divided horizontally into three distinct sections. The first section tells you what part of the Contacts Manager's screens and actions will be affected by a color change on that line. For example, the first item is the "Window Color." The second section lets you select the background color for the indicated selection. The third section lets you select the foreground color for the indicated selection. Note that there are defaults for each selection. The two vertical columns on the far-right of the screen show you how it is setup at present and what the default colors are for the selected item. Finally, notice that at the bottom-center (almost) of the screen there are two large buttons that will let you select usage of the background default colors, the foreground default colors, or, of course, both sets of default colors.

Just so you know how it works, click the first line (Window Color) down-arrow on the first column in the second section and select "dark slate gray" as your color. Notice that the second column shows you the selected color, but it is not yet actually activated for use. Now click the top button with the ">" character. Now notice that the "Curent" column's top color box shows the new color. Look to the far-right and notice that while the default colors did not change, the "Current" column's top color box shows the new color, too. You'll find that the forecolors work exactly the same way. If you want to keep the dark-gray-slate color, you can exit by clicking the "OK" button--try that just to see what happens.

Now click the Configuration menu option for "Colors and Fonts" and for "Colors" again. Click the bottom-center button to "Use Background Defaults." Now notice that the "Curent" column's top color box shows the default color again. Look to the far-right and notice that while the default colors did not change, the "Current" column's top color box shows the default color, too. You'll find that the forecolors work exactly the same way. If you want to keep the default color, you can exit by clicking the "OK" button--try that just to see what happens.

Next, consider the sub-menu option to configure fonts.
We recommend that you use the system as configured with "Arial" 12-point-bold text at first. Use this until you've built up a listing of Contacts with several entries so that you can immediately see what your changes do...then try making the font changes you envision using.

Click on this sub-menu option and you'll see a window something like the one shown at right. A quick study of this screen tells you there are three types of font for which you can set the size to make it larger or smaller. The first will be the text used in the large search/display/listing box just to the left of center on your main Contacts Manager Tool's screen--currently surrounded by a light-green (that's the default anyway) border. The second will be the text used in various text-entry boxes on your tool's update screens. The third is for text used to enter and display "notes" about the contact. This latter entry will have an effect on both personal and business notes you may choose to make.

Of course, you should notice what the red print tells you--if you try to make your text too large, it simply can't all fit onto the screen where it should. Hence, you'll have to watch this as you select and size your fonts.

Before we move forward, let's consider the little check box on the right-hand side of the window that says, "Only use fixed-pitch fonts." The typical Windows® system has about 50 different fonts already on it and some are added for various software packages to use. Most of these fonts are variable-pitch (read variable width) fonts designed to be more attractive. What that means is that a "W" is much larger than a "1" or even a "A." This may look good in an open-text document, but it plays havoc with columnar reports and listings, so you may find that you need to use fixed-pitch fonts where all the letters are the same size. This will largely depend upon how you intend to use your Contacts data.

Now, click the top-most "View" button to bring up the Windows® Font Dialog. This will look something like the one shown at right. You'll see that you can select any of a large number of fonts to suit your own taste. You can also select the style and size of the font you want to use.

Since we've mentioned the use of fixed-pitch fonts, we've included a look at the Font Dialog on the same computer, but with that little check-box checked. As you can see in the display at far-right, there are only 4 fonts to select from. You should be prepared for this fact--yes, it's normal.

When you've selected the font setup you hope to use, click the "OK" button. Be sure to see to it that your font stays in the text box on the screen where it says, "Note: Your selection MUST fit into this box or it won't work in the program." Guess why!

The next menu option on the Contacts Configuration Menu, Folders and Paths has a number of sub-menu items all of which allow you to specify where your data will be stored. This is depicted in the graphic at right.

If you select the first sub-menu option, you'll find that it is only to view or copy (to the system clipboard) the configuration file path that is currently in use for your Contacts Manager tool...it does not allow you to change the path which is something we DO NOT RECOMMEND you ever do.

This will look something like the screen at left. (For security reasons some of the data here has been blacked out.)

The sub-menu option to configure your Main .cfg and data folder path is an option WE DO NOT RECOMMEND YOU USE. This option is included solely for IT professionals who may actually need to configure a different storage location for your data. If you change it after your data has been "built," you will likely lose all your data, including all the configurations you have already set up. Note, too, that the new path you specify MUST ALREADY EXIST--it will not be created for you by the tool.

When you select this option, you will
see a screen something like the screen at left. (For security reasons some of the data here has been blacked out.)

Notice that you can paste a new file path into the tool (if it has been copied onto the system clipboard in some other program.) If you are changing the path, you should ALWAYS use the "TEST" button to ensure that you have the proper write permissions on the path. If you do not have sufficient permissions, it will kill your Contacts Manager Tool.

Once you've changed and tested your new path, click the "OK" button that has appeared as you worked to use the new path. One more time, WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT YOU CHANGE THIS PATH ...use the "CANCEL" button to exit without changing the file path.

The sub-menu option to configure your Work folder path is next in line. This option will let you specify a different folder where your tool can write temporary work files it needs to use to accomplish its many tasks. Note that any new folder path you specify MUST ALREADY exist: it will not be crated for you.

When you select this option, you will
see a screen something like the screen at left.

Notice that you can paste a new file path into the tool (if it has been copied onto the system clipboard in some other program.) If you are changing the path, you should ALWAYS use the "TEST" button to ensure that you have the proper write permissions on the path. If you do not have sufficient permissions, it will kill your Contacts Manager Tool.

Once you've changed and tested your new path, click the "OK" button that has appeared as you worked to use the new path.

The sub-menu option to configure your Contact Pictures folder is next in line. This option will let you specify a different folder where your tool can store pictures of your contacts that you may have found. Note that any new folder path you specify MUST ALREADY exist: it will not be crated for you.
We Recommend that you always use the data path in use for your.cfg path (see above) plus a sub-folder named "images" so that it is easy to backup ALL your Contacts data at one time.

When you select this option, you will
see a screen something like the screen at left.

Notice that you can paste a new file path into the tool (if it has been copied onto the system clipboard in some other program.) If you are changing the path, you should ALWAYS use the "TEST" button to ensure that you have the proper write permissions on the path. If you do not have sufficient permissions, it will kill your Contacts Manager Tool.

Once you've changed and tested your new path, click the "OK" button that has appeared as you worked to use the new path.

Looking down the sub-menu, the next option you find is labeled as "Backup folder (Optional and recommended)." When you initially configured your Catapult Garage software installation, you were given the opportunity to designate a location on a different physical hard drive where your data would automatically be written for redundancy purposes--a backup in case your hard drive rolls over, points its little feet toward the sky, and dies--figuratively speaking, of course. If you did not enter such a path or your wish to change the path, you can do that using this option.

When you select this sub-menu option, you will see a screen something like the one shown at left. Note that any new folder path you specify MUST ALREADY exist: it will not be crated for you. As with the other folder paths you see above, you can paste in a new path that has been previously copied to the system clipboard in another program, or you can type the path into the form, or you can use the "BROWSER" button to find the path. You should ALWAYS use the "TEST" button to be sure you have the necessary WRITE permissions on the folder you're selecting.

As usual, when you're finished and have successfully tested your new path, use the OK button to exit.

All the remaining sub-menu options have to do with setting up so that your contacts data is shared with someone else who uses a different computer. To read about how to do this and how to setup sharing, see the documentation section on
configuring sharing

From time to time you may need to be able to change the path to your Internet Explorer® browser. As an example, this occurred when the first 64-bit versions came out because many websites simply didn't work well on the new 64-bit version. (This has since been fixed.) Just in case you need to do this, we've provided this option.

As you may have guessed by looking at the window at left, this is exactly like any other file or folder path we ask for. You can type it in, use the "BROWSE" button to find the IE program (iexplore.exe), or you can paste the path in if you've copied it to the system clipboard from another program. Once you have the path as you need it to be, simply tab out of the text box and click the "OK" button to return to the Contacts tool.

We've heard from some of our users that they prefer to use a different browser than Microsoft's Internet Explorer® browser. Let's stop for a moment and say that some folks believe certain other browsers are more secure than IE, but in fact, we work a great deal with security and while IE is a favorite target because of its widespread usage and presence on all Windows® computers, it is also the only browser with a team of people who are paid to find and fix security holes in the code. In short, it is now one of the most secure browsers on the market anywhere and we see that in numerous government reports and other security reports from private security companies. If you're changing to another browser for security reasons, don't. If you're changing for personal preferences, go for it--use this option and configure the other browser as the "Browser to use for Contacts work".

As you may have guessed by looking at the window at left, this is exactly like any other file or folder path we ask for. You can type it in, use the "BROWSE" button to find the browser program you want, or you can paste the path in if you've copied it to the system clipboard from another program. Once you have the path as you need it to be, simply tab out of the text box and click the "OK" button to return to the Contacts tool.

Because you may be working at a place where your Contacts data is not secure if others can get to your computer, even for a few minutes, we've set it up so that you can have individual contacts' data auto-hide after a Maximum item display time and, in case you forget and leave your computer unattended, you can set it up so that it will close the Contacts Tool entirely after a given period of time--the Maximum page display time. (Note that if you've configured a one-time ID/password (see the section on Configuring For Use--General
above) it will prevent the tool from hiding your data. We also give you an option, "Don't Hide," which will disable both maximum-display-time options. These last two options are only for use in a totally secure environment. If it would really hurt you to have someone else get into your contacts data, you should never use these last two options. (An example would be a salesperson working in an open and competitive environment where people you can't trust might steal your contacts' information and use it to their own advantage and, of course, to your disadvantage.)

When you select the option to change the security display times--either of them--you'll see a "setup" like that shown in the image at left. You can enter a new value or leave the old one in place, then click the "OK" button to save the resulting change. Notice that the visible only difference in the two options at this point is the label showing what is being asked for. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND that you try to enter a really large number--use othe "don't hide" option instead.

The next part of your Configuration menu involves 3 switches dealing with
where contacts' images will be saved
(or not) and you can turn these switches on and off at will. The first switch indicates that all contacts' images should be copied into your Contacts' "images" folder. These are needed in some cases where hard disk space is at a premium or where network traffic must be kept to an absolute minimum. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU ALWAYS TURN THIS SWITCH ON (if possible) as indicated by the checked menu item. If you have a backup path configured, you can also elect whether to copy your contacts' images to the backup path's "images" folder or not. Finally, the third option says whether to copy your contacts' images to your sharing partner's computer drive or not. If you have sharing configured and in use, WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU ALWAYS TURN THIS SWITCH ON (if possible).

Moving into the next section of configuration options, the next one we come to is
Account Types. The initial configuration wizard loads a bare minimum set of examples as shown at left in Catapult's List-Builder sub-tool. You can easily add, change, or delete these codes. For a set of instructions on how the List-Builder sub-tool works,
click here.

The next configuration option we come to is
Address Abbreviations. The initial configuration wizard loads a large set of standard abbreviations as shown at left in Catapult's List-Builder sub-tool, but you'll almost certainly want to build abbreviations for your locale so that you can save typing. When these abbreviations are recognized in address-entry sequences, they will auto-expand to show the full set of data. You can easily add, change, or delete these codes. For a set of instructions on how the List-Builder sub-tool works,
click here.

The next configuration option we come to is for
Age Groups. The initial configuration wizard loads a set of age groups as shown at left in Catapult's List-Builder sub-tool. You can easily add, change, or delete these codes. For a set of instructions on how the List-Builder sub-tool works,
click here.

The next configuration option we come to is for
General Abbreviations. The initial configuration wizard loads a couple of examples as shown at left in Catapult's List-Builder sub-tool. You can easily add, change, or delete these abbreviations for your own use in your Notes typing--abbreviations recognized during notes typing will be expanded automatically. For a set of instructions on how the List-Builder sub-tool works,
click here.

The next configuration option we come to is for
Lists and Groups. The initial configuration wizard loads a set of standard abbreviations as shown at left in Catapult's List-Builder sub-tool, but you'll almost certainly want to add to the list. You can easily add, change, or delete these codes. For a set of instructions on how the List-Builder sub-tool works,
click here.

The next configuration option we come to is for
Contacts Sources. The initial configuration wizard loads a set of standard codes as shown at left in Catapult's List-Builder sub-tool, but you'll almost certainly want to add to the list so that it fits your life and your experiences. You can easily add, change, or delete these codes. For a set of instructions on how the List-Builder sub-tool works,
click here.

The next configuration option we come to is for
Contacts Types. The initial configuration wizard loads a set of standard types as shown at left in Catapult's List-Builder sub-tool, but you'll almost certainly want to add to the list so that it fits your life and your experiences. You can easily add, change, or delete these codes. For a set of instructions on how the List-Builder sub-tool works,
click here.

The next configuration option we come to is for
Phone Number Types. The initial configuration wizard loads a set of standard types as shown at left in Catapult's List-Builder sub-tool, but you'll almost certainly want to add to the list so that it fits your needs. You can easily add, change, or delete these codes. For a set of instructions on how the List-Builder sub-tool works,
click here.

The next configuration option we come to is for
Time Before Contacts "Expire". By default, the system is set to "think" that when a contact entry is 365 days old it should "expire"--the entry, not the contact! This recognizes the volatility of data that deals with a large number of people: they move, they get married and change their names, they change jobs, they retire...the list goes on and on. The next part of this idea is that you will need to try to contact the people after this time passes and ask them to verify their contact information as you have it or give you new information.

If you want to change the number of days until entries "expire" simply type the number you want to use in the indicated text box. Hit the tab key and the "OK" button will appear. Click the "OK" button to save your change. Or, of course, you can use the "Cancel" button to exit without making a change.

The next configuration option we come to is for
US State Codes. By default, the system is loaded with the standard codes for each of the 50 states, e.g., AL=Alabama, TN=Tennessee, etc. These are updated using the list-builder sub-tool. Should you wish to add other codes, e.g., Canadian provinces' codes, you can easily add, change, or delete these codes. For a set of instructions on how the List-Builder sub-tool works,
click here.

The next configuration menu section deals with
configurations for sending email
if you have a Microsoft Exchange® Server on your LAN. These configuration options work exactly as documented in the section above dealing with
general configurations.

The next configuration menu option deals with
Phone Dialing
if you have a modem on your computer, you can configure it so that it can be used to quickly and accurately dial your contacts' phone numbers for you. These configuration options work exactly as documented in the section above dealing with
Phone Dialing.

The next configuration menu section deals with
configurations for importing data
from other programs. The first of the three options available to you comes set up for Microsoft Office Outlook® data exported as comma-delimited data. The other two options are there for you to setup for other programs you might have.

The image at left shows what your import setup looks like in the List-Builder sub-tool. For a set of instructions on how the List-Builder sub-tool works,
click here.

Looking at the data shown, you'll see the field name in the Contacts data, " = ", and the name of the incoming data field. Hence on the first line, you see that "Contact's full name = Title" is the entry. Now look at the second line. Here we see "Contact's full name = +SP" as the entry. The code "+SP" is special: it will add a single space to the field entry as it stands so far, hence the Contact's full name is whatever is in the incoming "Title" field followed by a single space character. Consider the third line where you see "Contact's full name = +First Name" and the "+" again means we're adding to the data already in the Contacts field. In this case, we're adding whatever is in the incoming data's "First Name" field.

Now, look at the Contacts Email Greeting field entry. Here you'll see "Email Greeting = 'Dear '" which uses a literal string as designated by the single-quote marks surrounding the string. In this case, the literal string is "Dear" followed by a single space character. In the next line we add the incoming data's First-name field to the Contacts Email Greeting data. Hence, if the incoming first name were John, we would have an email greeting of "Dear John" so far. On the third line of the Email Greeting import we add a comma and space to the data so we get "Dear John, " in our Email Greeting field.

Next, look at the "IM Address = " line. Each field in the Contacts record must be accounted for, even if we are not going to import data into it. That is the case with this field and this is how we designate that it will be left empty. The "Expires Date" line is also left blank.

Just as we used "SP" as a special code, we can also use "CRLF" to designate a Carriage-return-line-feed 2-character code which will effectively add a line bread (a new line) inside the data. This is used to import multiple incoming data fields into the Contacts "Contact Notes" field. That lets you put any incoming data that does not readily match up to a Contacts data field inside your notes rather than just losing it. Another special code is used for the Contacts age-group field: "Age Group = *Birthday" is used to tell the system to locate the date coming in as a member of one of the age groups Contacts knows about.

If you scroll the import list down to the line for Contacts field List/Group-1 Date, you'll see another special code: "List/Group-1 Date = !Birthday" in use. This tells the Contacts import module that the incoming data field contains a date entry.

Finally, if you scroll to the bottom of this list, you'll see a special entry that does not match up with any Contacts field: "LAST FIELD IN = Web Page" is used to let Contacts verify that things look right when data is imported. If the incoming data's first line, a description line, doesn't end with "Web Page" it will be flagged an the data will not be accepted since it does not look like what's expected. The alternative would be to go ahead with the import and you would wind up with lots of useless Contacts data.

If you find you need to build a new data import configuration that will import data generated by a different program, you can use the Outlook® file as a model and the information above, of course, to help you build the file. Be sure to backup your existing Contacts data (if any) before you import data because you can be sure of having one or two failed attempts before you get it right.